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“Black Christmas” at Copro Gallery

Inspired by the darker, “real” legends of Christmas, Copro Gallery’s latest group show “Black Christmas” presents tongue-in-cheek artwork reinterpreting this usually joyous holiday. While Santa Claus is a popular choice, the show also depicts Frosty the snowman, the devil, demons, elves, reindeer, to Rankin/Bass’s classic characters. A Christmas art show risks being cliché, but artists such as Luke Chueh, Glenn Barr, Brian Despain, Rudy Fig, and Chet Zar found a dark theme that matches their original influences. Luke Chueh adds, “I chose not to paint Santa Claus. I wanted to be more subtle and do something that is me.”

The spirit of the show is best represented in more eerie pieces like Alex Shafer’s “Black Christmas,” where Santa gets lost in a crowd moments before President Kennedy’s assassination. In the adjacent gallery, Copro debuts “Hell Is A Kitchen” by Nour and “The Unclouded Mind” by Xue Wang, both depicting an accidental humor in their twisted, surreal worlds. “Black Christmas” group show exhibits at Copro Gallery, from December 10 – December 31, 2011. – Caro